Eggs have many health benefits.
Eggs are a very good source of inexpensive, high quality protein. More than half the protein of an egg is found in the egg white along with vitamin B2 and lower amounts of fat and cholesterol than the yolk. The whites are rich sources of selenium, vitamin D, B6, B12 and minerals such as zinc, iron and copper.(www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/ingredient-focus-eggs)
And while boosting your health, the eggs may also taste pleasant, given that you can fix them any way you like.

Cholestorol[1]Eggs are an extreme source of cholestorol, one large (50g) egg contains 187mg of cholestorol, which is already 62% of maximum daily intake. Keep in mind that there is no need to injest cholestorol at all, so any intake is unnecessary.

Cancer[2] This study found that "Men who consumed 2.5 or more eggs per week had an 81% increased risk of lethal prostate cancer compared with men who consumed less than 0.5 eggs per week". It drove to the conclusion that "consumption of eggs may increase risk of developing a lethal form of prostate cancer among healthy men." This may very well be because of the choline content in eggs.

Eggs are a very high source of methionine, which is [3] "an essential amino acid with many key roles in mammalian metabolism such as protein synthesis, methylation of DNA and polyamine synthesis.". Though it may be essential to some degree, there is very clear evidence of the correlation of methionine and cancer, the study found that "Restriction of methionine may be an important strategy in cancer growth control particularly in cancers that exhibit dependence on methionine for survival and proliferation.".

Diabetes[4] This study used information from 2849 adults and found that "egg consumption was significantly and positively associated with diabetes risk". The study was adjusted for age, total calorie intake, education, smoking, family history of diabetes, and sedentary activity.

OtherEggs are really nothing special. Everything "good" in an egg can be found in other sources, which do not have the same moral or health drawbacks. [1] They are not a particularly good source of protein, having 6 grams, and their vitamin B-12 content is only about 10% of daily intake per egg.

MORALITY

Battery Farming - Space[5] In countries with legislation regarding battery farms, floor space for these cages range upwards from 300cm² per bird. EU standards from 2003 say that each bird should have at least 550cm² bird per and in the US the recommendation is 430 to 560 cm2 per bird. Keep in mind that the size of an A4 sheet of paper is only 624cm2, these means that all the cage sizes I specified before, as well as many others, provide less space for a chicken than a piece of A4 paper. When turning, hens use 540 to 1006cm2, when stretching their wings, they use 653 to 1118cm2 and when preening* they use 814 to 1240cm2. These numbers taken into account, we can see that the basic functions of a chicken are hindered to an extreme extent. In these conditions, it is easy to see why chickens can become violent in these conditions, which brings me on to my next point...

*Preening is the term used for when a hen is grooming herself.

Battery Farming - Debeaking[6] Because chickens are put in such extreme circumstances, they become violent and aggressive. To ensure to chickens do not kill each other, their beaks are partially trimmed off. This is done usually by hot blade, cold blade, electrical (the bio-beaker) or infrared. The procedure is usually done without any kind of pain relief when the chicks are very young. "The beak is a complex, functional organ with an extensive nervous supply including nocieptors that sense pain and noxious stimuli.These would almost certainly be stimulated during beak trimming, indicating strongly that acute pain would be experienced". "Severe beak trimming, or beak trimming birds at an older age, may cause chronic pain".

Male Chicks[7] Since male chicks are not able to produce eggs, they are often deemed worthless by the industry. Because of this they are mass slaughtered, often while still fully conscious. This is usually done by "Maceration, using a large high-speed grinder into which the live chicks are fed. Gases or gas mixtures, often carbon dioxide is used to induce unconsciousness and then death., cervical dislocation (breaking the neck), electrocution, a new method that has been touted as being cheap, reliable, and humane by its developers or suffocation in plastic bags.".

Cage Free & Free Range Eggs[8] Though "Cage Free" eggs are often advertised as healthy and humane, this is not the case. Practices like chick culling and debeaking, as well as mistreatment of the birds still occur regularly.

ConclusionFrom the points I have adressed above I think it is clear that humans should not be eating eggs. Egg consumption support cruelty on a large scale and is a detriment to our health.

Yeah, we all know that the source of the most cholesterol is in the yolk of the egg, and you can opt out of that if you want.
About those studies, are those sources credible?
Now, here are six great reasons to eat eggs.
1. Whole Eggs Are Among The Most Nutritious Foods on Earth
One whole egg contains an amazing range of nutrients.

Just imagine" the nutrients in there are enough to turn a single fertilized cell into an entire baby chicken.

Eggs are loaded with vitamins, minerals, high quality proteins, good fats and various other lesser-known nutrients.

One large egg contains (1):

Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin): 9% of the RDA.
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): 15% of the RDA.
Vitamin A: 6% of the RDA.
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid): 7% of the RDA.
Selenium: 22% of the RDA.
Eggs also contain small amounts of almost every vitamin and mineral required by the human body" including calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, manganese, Vitamin E, Folate and many more.
A large egg contains 77 calories, with 6 grams of quality protein, 5 grams of fat and trace amounts of carbohydrates.

It"s very important to realize that almost all the nutrients are contained in the yolk, the white contains only protein.

Bottom Line: Whole eggs are incredibly nutritious, containing a very large amount of nutrients compared to the calorie load. The nutrients are found in the yolks, while the whites are mostly protein.

2. Eggs Improve Your Cholesterol Profile and do NOT Raise Your Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
Egg
The main reason people have been warned about eggs is that they"re loaded with cholesterol.

One large egg contains 212 mg of cholesterol, which is a LOT compared to most other foods.

However, just because a food contains cholesterol doesn"t mean that it will raise the bad cholesterol in the blood.

The liver actually produces cholesterol, every single day. If you eat cholesterol, then your liver produces less. If you don"t eat cholesterol, then your liver produces more of it.

The thing is, many studies show that eggs actually improve your cholesterol profile.

Eggs tend to raise HDL (the "good") cholesterol and they tend to change the LDL (the "bad") cholesterol to a large subtype which is not associated with an increased risk of heart disease (2, 3, 4).

One study discovered that 3 whole eggs per day reduced insulin resistance, raised HDL and increased the size of LDL particles in men and women with metabolic syndrome (5).

Multiple studies have examined the effects of egg consumption on the risk of cardiovascular disease and found no association between the two (6, 7, 8).

However, some studies do show an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in diabetic patients. This needs further research though and probably doesn"t apply on a low-carb diet, which can in many cases reverse type II diabetes (9, 10, 11).

Bottom Line: Studies show that eggs actually improve the cholesterol profile. They raise HDL (the good) cholesterol and increase the size of LDL particles, which should lower the risk of heart disease.

3. Eggs Are Loaded With Choline, an Important Nutrient For The Brain
Woman smiling and holding an egg
Choline is a lesser-known nutrient that is often grouped with the B-complex vitamins.

Choline is an essential nutrient for human health and is needed for various processes in the body.

It is required to synthesize the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and is also a component of cell membranes.

A low choline intake has been implicated in liver diseases, cardiovascular disease and neurological disorders (12).

This nutrient may be especially important for pregnant women. Studies show that a low choline intake can raise the risk of neural tube defects and lead to decreased cognitive function in the offspring (13).

In a dietary survey in the U.S. from 2003-2004, over 90% of people ate less than the daily recommended amount of choline (14)!

The best sources of choline in the diet are egg yolks and beef liver. One large egg contains 113 mg of Choline.

Bottom Line: Choline is an essential nutrient that 90% of people in the U.S. aren"t getting enough of. Egg yolks are an excellent source of choline.

4. Eggs Contain High Quality Proteins With a Perfect Amino Acid Profile
Chicken and Egg, Smaller
Proteins are the main building blocks of the body and serve both structural and functional purposes.

They consist of amino acids that are linked together, kind of like beads on a string, then folded into complex shapes.

There are about 21 amino acids that the body uses to build its proteins.

The body can not produce 9 of these amino acids, which are deemed as "essential" and must be gotten from the diet.

The quality of a protein source is determined by its relative amounts of these essential amino acids. A protein source that contains all of them in the right ratios is a good source of protein.

Eggs are among the best sources of protein in the diet. In fact, the biological value (a measure of protein quality) is often evaluated by comparing it to eggs, which are given the perfect score of 100.

Bottom Line: Eggs are an excellent source of protein, with all the essential amino acids in the right ratios.

5. Eggs Are Loaded With Lutein and Zeaxanthin, Which Protect The Eyes
Girl Holding an Egg
There are two antioxidants in eggs that can have powerful protective effects on the eyes.

They are called Lutein and Zeaxanthin, both found in the yolk.

Lutein and Zeaxanthin tend to accumulate in the retina, the sensory part of the eye.

These antioxidants significantly reduce the risk of Macular Degeneration and Cataracts, which are among the leading causes of vision impairment and blindness in the elderly (15, 16, 17).

In one study, eating 1.3 egg yolks per day for 4.5 weeks increased blood levels of Zeaxanthin by 114-142% and Lutein by 28-50% (18).

Bottom Line: Eggs are very high in the antioxidants Lutein and Zeaxanthin, which can drastically reduce the risk of Macular Degeneration and Cataracts.

6. Eggs For Breakfast Can Help You Lose Body Fat
Eggs in a Basket
Eggs contain only trace amounts of carbohydrates, but plenty of protein and fat.

They score very high on a scale called the Satiety Index, which is a measure of how much foods contribute to satiety (19).

For this reason, it is not surprising to see studies where eating eggs for breakfast leads to fat loss.

In one study, 30 overweight or obese women consumed either a breakfast of eggs or a breakfast of bagels. Both breakfasts had the same amount of calories.

The women in the egg group felt more full and ate less calories for the rest of the day and for the next 36 hours (20).

In another study that went on for 8 weeks, eating eggs for breakfast lead to significant weight improvements compared to the same amount of calories from bagels. The egg group (21):

Lost 65% more body weight.
Lost 16% more body fat.
Had a 61% greater reduction in BMI.
Had a 34% greater reduction in waist circumference (a good marker for the dangerous abdominal fat).
(http://authoritynutrition.com...)
Now, with all these great health benefits, who would not take the simple opportunity, and eat some eggs?

NOTESI'd like to note that my oponent used only one source (which does however contain many sources, so I'm not even sure that it matters), but also has seems to straight up copy and pasted a substantial amount of it without the use of even quotations, to such an extent that her argument would of been almost exactly the same if she just linked to page. It is a great example of copy-pasting in her third argument, which contains the line "Woman smiling and holding an egg.", the actual article has a picture of said act. This is my first debate on this website and I'm not 100% sure how everything works yet, but this does not seem like very good conduct to me.

REBUTTLES

"1. Whole Eggs Are Among The Most Nutritious Foods on Earth."In this first argument of yours, you talk about the nutrients in eggs. Though I will not deny that eggs do contain many nutrients, a food having nutrients is no reason to ignore the detriments and consume it. For example, according to www.cronometer.com, one medium order of McDonalds French Fries contains the following:

-68% of daily omega-3 intake-49% of daily omega-6 intake-4.1 grams of protein with a quite balances amino acid profile-50% of daily vitamin B6 intake-28% of vitamin K intakeHowever, just because McDonalds french fries contain all of this, they are hardly a health food.

Your arguments about the nutrients in an egg are simply not good enough to outweigh the negatives. It makes a substantial amount more sense to simply get these nutrients from a healthy balanced diet containing plenty of fruits and vegatables, in which all of the nutrients you have mentioned are readily available.

"2. Eggs Improve Your Cholesterol Profile and do NOT Raise Your Risk of Cardiovascular Disease."Though it is true that dietary cholestorol doesn't have a significant effect in many people, you yourself have stated in your argument that diabet people are affected. As well as this, [2], " about one in three people seem to be especially susceptible to the effects of cholesterol in food.". Other than that, there is not much more to say.

"3. Eggs are Loaded With Choline, and Important Nutrient For The Brain."[2] The most Choline a human will ever need seems to be about 550 mg each day. Though one egg does contain 113 mg of choline as you said, there is no reason that we should eat eggs just because they contain this vitamin, as explained in my first rebuttle. Furthmore, the article you've given states that 90% of U.S. people serveyed were deficient in choline, but it's quite clear that more than 90% of Americans consume eggs. This shows that having eggs in your diet does not mean you are getting enough choline. The second link in my sources contains many foods high in choline and all containing no cholestorol and many vitamins etc., clearly better sources than eggs, though perhaps not as dense.

"4. Eggs Contain High Quality Proteins With a Perfect Amino Acid Profile"As I've already explained this is no good reason, I will simply extent my first argument, that these nutrients can be easily found in often better sources, and because this food contains them, that does not outweigh the negatives. This extends to your fifth and sixth arguments as well.

Reasons for voting decision: Sources. Pro plagiarizes their entire argument from this source (http://authoritynutrition.com/6-reasons-why-eggs-are-the-healthiest-food-on-the-planet/). While Pro does link the source, she fails to put the argument in quotes. According to Plagiarism.org, "failing to put a quotation in quotation marks" is considered plagiarism (http://www.plagiarism.org/plagiarism-101/what-is-plagiarism/). What is also considered plagiarism is "copying so many words or ideas from a source that it makes up the majority of your work, whether you give credit or not." (same source) Pro's entire argument is copied, thus is plagiarizing. As such, I penalize Pro for their plagiarism by awarding the conduct point to Con.

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